‘What is a product where the cheap knock off version is somehow better that the original?’: People discuss what cheap things are way better that it’s expensive version.

María Cetra • Writer

Aug 5, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Sometime to spend more doesn't mean getting a better product…

Knock-offs are great to save some money but still get the product you wanted. Sometimes they are even more expensive than the real thing, because they are so awful and short-lasting that you end up having to buy multiple instead of simply spending more on the more expensive product. We see this with clothes. You buy the cheap one for the supermarket, and after two washes it completely deforms, but you spend more on a name-brand one that is actually 100% cotton, and suddenly it lasts for years. But that is not the case with knockoffs. Sometimes they turn out to be even better than the more pricey option. But when?

What’s a product where the cheap knock-off version is somehow unironically better than the expensive original?

Money on a table with wooden letters spelling ‘spend’. — *Money on a table with wooden letters spelling 'spend'.*

In the thread below, we have so many examples of times when the cheap version is either the same or even way better than the expensive one. From makeup products to actual food. So why would you buy the expensive one knowing that? Is it because of the brand? To let everyone know that you can afford it? Because you aren’t cheap? As someone cheap myself, if it’s almost the same product, buy the cheap one, save money. No brand name is worth $100 more for a product that does the same thing. Waste money on things you like, in useful things, not some high-end mascara that does the same as the one from the dollar store.

via TalkToSkye

LogicalJaguar4395 I bought an expensive swiffer mop. It uses batteries for the sprayer and it wants me to keep buying refill cartridges. To get around that I have to boil water to get the lid of so I can refill the cartridge. Well, my kid loved the mop and was constantly mopping the floor and going through all my cleaner. Which was great, except whenever I needed it it was empty.

So I got on temu and bought her a little child size one. It was actually great. You just squeeze the lever to spray instead of using batteries. And it comes with a refillable reservoir that I can fill with whatever I want. So naturally I realized that this was all I really wanted in a mop and I checked and you can get them in full size too. And it comes with washable pads. So the cheap knockoff has no batteries, reusable pads and a reusable cleaning reservoir.

Nopetynope12 Vantablack paint vs Stuart Semple's Blackest black paint. In 2014 artist Anish Kapoor got exclusive rights to use Vantablack paint in artistic applications. It's one of the darkest possible paints, absorbing up to 99.965% of visible light perpendicular to the material. It needs a temperature of 100-280 Celsius, and vacuum post-processing, as well as being mega expensive. Some say its fumes are toxic but I can't verify a source. Blackest Black costs around

£50 and can be used at room temperature, and apparently, smells like cherries, but to use it, you must verify that you are not Anish Kapoor or buying on his behalf.

*Money being cleaned from the floor by a vacuum cleaner.*

There is currently a trend on TikTok where people share things that are “worth your money”. I think we should all make a list of the things we buy. Notice which ones actually need me to spend more than I normally would. For all the other things, buy the cheap option. Not everything needs to be high-end with the best quality. Save money where you can. You will thank me later!

IrrerPolterer Ink and toner cartridges. Knock offs are actually filled a to the top with ink.

ClownfishSoup Rubik's Cube. When they came out they were a bit pricey, but cool. They are also very clunky. Once the mystery of the cube was solved (ie someone published the moves needed to solve the cube, or "the algorithms") people moved on to "speed cubing" which is solving a mixed up cube as fast as you could using memorized algorithms. Now you can buy a "speed cube" for

like 3 bucks or something. It will have tapered corners to help the cube sides turn faster. Now you might argue it's not the same thing and not a cheap knock off, but I argue that it is because it's still the same puzzle. You can't speed cube with a Rubik's cube. Even their version of a speed cube pales compared to some cubes ... some even have magnets to snap the faces into place faster.

-GoodNewsEveryone Jonga. Its like Jenga but each block was 1mm longer/shorter, taller/squatter or wider/narrower than each other block. Much more fun, and the 1% chance of getting a critical hit from a splinter and knocking the tower down spectacularily and violently kept everyone very engaged.

Vodka Margarine In the 1980s Japanese guitar manufacturers like Ibanez and Tokai were making cheap copies of American guitars that were so good they were taken to court and forced to make them look less like the Gibsons/Fenders they were copying. Even today the best Les Paul copies are better than those made by Gibson. Same with Fender guitars (Fender is currently throwing their toys out the pram again in 2026

because other manufacturers are making their guitar better than they can)

DontBlameMe4lt Any sports jerseys that Fanatics make. The cheap $20 counterfeits are better quality than ANY Fanatics jersey.

Oh_No_Its_Dudder Aldi cereal. Honey Grahams are better than Golden Grahams, their frosted shredded wheat is better than Kellogg's frosted shredded wheat, I could go on and on.

via TalkToSkye

Floss_Patrol_76 anker chargers and cables. a third the price of apple's, charge faster, and the cables don't turn into a frayed mess after six months. haven't bought a first-party cable in years.

Alaeriia Nerf blasters. So the official stuff from Hasbro will typically shot about 60-70 feet, cost $50, and hold 8 darts or so. Then you have X-Shot and Dart Zone; both of them have $50 blasters that will shot nearly triple the distance with significantly increased accuracy and hold more darts. In fact, the Walmart-branded Nexus Pro X is capable of hitting targets

nearly 200 feet away, and has functional rifling. The X-Shot Motorized Piston Pump is the old Nerf Stampede on steroids, hitting 150 feet and using interchangeable magazines. There's a belt-fed version as well. Heck, the Dart Zone Villainator hits around 90 feet, holds 40 darts, and costs $20 at my local Walmart.

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‘What is a product where the cheap knock off version is somehow better that the original?’: People discuss what cheap things are way better that it’s expensive version.

Sometime to spend more doesn't mean getting a better product…

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